


Raid

by AdelaFromJaneEyre



Series: Among the Honeysuckle [1]
Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Definitely some smoke, Didn't Know They Were Dating, F/M, Is it a burn?, Is there fire?, Is there smoke?, Not really a slow burn, but do they know that?, but not a fast one either, hmmmmmm, or are they
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-22 14:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22284403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdelaFromJaneEyre/pseuds/AdelaFromJaneEyre
Summary: I wrote this story about five years ago, and recently found it in an old notebook. It's part one of three, and I enjoyed them so much, I thought I'd share. I've transcribed them almost exactly as I originally wrote them, with only minor edits for grammar. Without further ado, please enjoy Part 1, Raid.
Relationships: Beorn (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Among the Honeysuckle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604050
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story about five years ago, and recently found it in an old notebook. It's part one of three, and I enjoyed them so much, I thought I'd share. I've transcribed them almost exactly as I originally wrote them, with only minor edits for grammar. Without further ado, please enjoy Part 1, Raid.

The Lord of the Eagles gazed over the moonlit landscape from his position high upon a cliff on the western edge of the Misty Mountains. His keen eyes were watching for his ally--scanning the grassy plain between the mountains and the dark forest of Mirkwood. He looked south along the glittering river, but the summer breeze was all that stirred the long grasses. He rustled his feathers impatiently--the goblins wouldn’t wait. 

As he continued to gaze southward, clouds rolled in and covered the moon. When they cleared, the Lord of the Eagles straightened in anticipation. For there, running swiftly up the plain and silent even to the eagle’s sharp ears, was a large, black bear. 


	2. I.

The wind whipped at Arilyn’s hair and face as they sped along the banks of the Great River. Even though it was June, Beorn could travel so fast he made the air turn cold. She clutched a little tighter to his fur as she leaned forward over his back, silently willing him to run even faster. If they could stop even one goblin raid, she would feel avenged.

She leaned farther forward, settling her face into the hollow between Beorn’s massive shoulder blades. She breathed in his scent as it washed over her--the smell of woodsmoke, and sweet cream, and honey--and it comforted her.

Beorn felt Arilyn’s breath on his back, and it awakened new worries within him. As soon as she’d heard about the raid the goblins were planning, Arilyn had begged him to go with her and help the eagles stop it. She had been surprised and disappointed when he resisted the idea.

“I thought you hated them,” she said.

“I do, but, Ari--”

“Then let’s go and kill these bastards, and save another village from the fate met by mine.” Her grey eyes burned with determination, and looking into them, Beorn hadn’t been able to tell her that it wasn’t for want of passion that he’d refused...he hated the goblins as much as she, but she hadn’t faced them since her village had been destroyed and her family killed. Her nightmares, although less frequent now, were still happening, and just as traumatic. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Arilyn any more pain.

But Ari was stubborn and staring into those eyes, Beorn could do nothing but hold his tongue and nod in agreement. 

Now, racing across the plain towards the clearing, with the eagles beginning to circle overhead, new incarnations of his earlier fears began to raise themselves in Beorn’s mind. What if at the first sight of a goblin, Arilyn froze? That would be a quick end to her. Or suppose she didn’t freeze but became so angry that she forgot all her training and fought erratically? Doing little damage, wasting her energy, or perhaps leaving herself unguarded--again, a quick end. He was tempted to turn around and take her home, but he knew she wouldn’t stand for that. She’d only jump off his back and run north. And heaven be damned if Beorn allowed a goblin to kill Arilyn.

He felt her sit up again as the plains became wooded and they neared the clearing. They stopped about half a league away, and the Lord of the Eagles swooped down from the sky and settled on a branch above them.

“There will be no Wargs,” he told them over the soft rustle of several dozen eagles settling into the trees. “We handled that problem earlier. It is a small group of goblins, about six or so.” 

“Why so few?” Arilyn ventured to ask, her voice little more than a whisper.

“The village they chose is small.” He paused, listening as Beorn said something in Animal. “Arilyn, Beorn says he can travel quieter as a human and would like you to get off him.” 

Arilyn nodded and slid silently to the ground. When she turned, Beorn, now human, was standing tall behind her.

“I did say, ‘please,’” he informed her. “The Eagle left it out.” 

She smiled. “It’s okay,” she whispered back. “You don’t have to be polite tonight. We have other things to worry about.”

Beorn was such a large man that although Arilyn had always been considered very tall for her age, the top of her head barely reached Beorn’s lowest rib. His stride was nearly twice the size of hers, and this made running or walking together difficult. He stooped and allowed her to climb onto his back once again. The moment she was settled--clinging to his shoulders with his hands secure under her legs--they were off, running for the goblin clearing while the eagles flapped silently overhead. 

Arilyn had trouble staying on; every bouncing step of the run seemed to be trying to loosen her grip on Beorn. His massive shoulders were difficult to hold on to, and her legs were too short to wrap all the way around his chest. She was grateful when he stopped and she slid back down to the forest floor. 

“Are you ready?” Beorn whispered, watching her as she peered through the trees at the half a dozen irate goblins in the clearing. She didn’t say anything, just nodded silently, her eyes never leaving the creatures she hated.

Beorn felt his fears rise within him a third time, his brow creasing with worry. “Ari,” he whispered. “Arilyn.”

She turned to him. “Don’t give me that look,” she said, seeing the concern on his face. She placed a hand on his arm. “Stop worrying about me, Beo.”

He set his large hand over her small one and looked into her earnest face. “But…”

“No ‘but’s. I’ll be fine.” She withdrew her hand from his. “You trained me. Remember?” She reached behind her head and gripped the handle of the battle axe strapped to her back. She pulled it from its holster in one fluid motion, smooth and absolutely silent. Her eyes met Beorn’s. “Get ready,” she whispered. 

He looked at her a moment longer before nodding, and loped off to take his position on the other side of the clearing.


	3. II.

The eagles dove first, startling the goblins and blinding them when they turned their surprised eyes to the sky. Then from one side, the goblins were attacked by a small girl bearing an axe. She sliced the head off of two unsuspecting monsters in a row, then drove the blade of her weapon into the exposed belly of a third as he raised his club to smash her. She ducked, spinning out of the way as he fell forward. His club smacked the head of one of his companions. He fell, too, unconscious or dead. She chopped his head from his shoulders to ensure it was dead. 

Upon seeing four of their kin perish at her hands, the other two goblins attempted to abandon the clearing. Their path was blocked by a large, and rather cross, black bear. He seized them, knocked their heads together, and dropped them to the ground, dead as could be.

“Is that all?” Arilyn asked Beorn. She wasn’t even out of breath. “I got four and you had two...there were only six, right?”

But she was wrong. Behind her, Beorn saw a seventh goblin stand from the ground, not even injured and only pretending to be dead. Beorn growled and leapt over her to tackle the bastard to the ground.

Arilyn gasped as Beorn ran at her, and she ducked, cowering, when he jumped. She turned to see him tearing a seventh goblin to shreds. His snarling, while unintelligible to her, was a mixture of obscenities directed at the goblin as well as calls to the eagles to check the surrounding woods and make sure all the goblins had been killed.

Arilyn looked skyward as the eagles began to flap overhead, flying in concentric circles around the dead raiding party. Her eyes were drawn further west, to the moon, as the glowing white disc hung low over the mountains, already making its descent. Dawn would arrive before any of them noticed it. 

“Arilyn!” Beorn called. She turned to see the great mountain of a man running to her. “Are you hurt?”

“No, Beorn, I’m--” His embrace interrupted her. She laughed and pressed her face into the soft cotton of his shirt. It was useless to protest, and she didn’t really want to. Instead, she got lost in the smell of woodsmoke and honey, knowing that as long as Beo was there, she would always be safe.


End file.
